Arctic face mask



Oct. 27, 1959 L. R. MIZELL ARCTIC FACE MASK Filed March 4. 1959 ATTCRNEY 2,909,782 1C Patented Oct. 27, 1959 ARCTIC FACE MASK Louis R. Mizell, Washington, D.C., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application March 4, 1959, Serial No. 797,320

15 Claims. (Cl. 2--9) The invention relates to face masks for wear in cold climates where the extreme low temperatures encountered in winter prevent or at least restrict outdoor activity to brief periods. To overcome this it has been suggested to provide hoods including cylindrical fur ruffs extendlng forwardly of the face. These, however, restrict vislon in all directions except directly forwardly and provide too large an opening for frigid drafts. It has likewise been suggested to provide helmets which entirely enclose the head and face and which are made of transparent material. These are objectionable because many known transparent materials are unsuitable for low temperatures and also because they quickly become covered with frost and can only be cleared of frost with great difiiculty. Likewise, such devices provide no adequate protection against snow blindness caused by the intense glare both direct and reflected of the suns rays. This last is customarily prevented by providing lensless snow goggles having rigid slats to restrict glare. These too are susceptible to frost accumulations and are difiicult to defrost.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved arctic face mask which restricts the entrance of frigid drafts, which provides vision in all essential directions, and which is readily cleared of frost.

A further object is to provide such a mask which comprises a coarse fabric which is readily manipulated to clear the same of frost.

A further object is to provide such a mask which comprises a coarse fabric of stretchable resilient material which is alternately stretched and relaxed to clear the same of frost.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, the structure of the several elements of the same, combinations and subcombinations of such elements with each other and/ or with supporting means for the same, all of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing illustrating one species of the invention and also to the following specification wherein the invention is described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a frontal elevation of a face mask according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view thereof;

Figure 3 is a .top plan view of the same;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4--4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts in all views, the

"particular embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises a frame generally designated at and any suitable means such as the skull cap 11 for mounting the frame 10 across the face of the wearer, not shown. The particular frame illustrated is in the nature of a baseball mask and may be concavo-convex in form and composed of side frame members 12 and 13 as well as intermediate frame members 14. Top and bottom frame portions 15 and 16 connect the side frame members 12 and 13 together to provide a closed and generally oval frame. The intermediate frame members 14 are forwardly arched and have upper and lower ends connected to the top and bottom frame portions 15 and 16 to provide a rigid frame. Obviously the frame could assume other forms.

The frame 10 is preferably partially covered with opaque, windproof material and in the species illustrated, this comprises upper and lower bodies 17 and 18 respectively of any suitable opaque, windproof material. These bodies or covers 17 and 18 are permanently secured to the frame in any suitable or well known manner, not shown. Preferably the lower cover 18 is formed With a lower edge 19 which is of arcuate form to define a segment shaped opening 20 forwardly of the lower frame portion 16, best seen in Figure 5. The opening 20 not only provides a drain for condensate but also provides a view opening downwardly of the eyes of the wearer.

The upper and lower covers 17 and 18 are vertically spaced apart to provide a transverse eye opening or port 21 which preferably extends entirely across the frame 10 to provide full peripheral vision. This opening or port 21 is covered by a body 22 which comprises what may be called -a coarse fabric formed of stretchable resilient strips 27. Although it is contemplated that the fabric body 22 might be woven or otherwise be formed as a reticulated fabric, in the species illustrated, it comprises- The other mounting means may be permanently secured to its side frame member. However, to facilitate the use by both right and left handed personnel, it is preferred that each mounting means 23 and 24 be provided with a hook 25 and that each mounting means include a hand grip 26. Such hand grips 26 may be of any suitable form but the wire loops shown are particularly advan-" tageous because they may be readily grasped by a gloved hand or finger. The purpose of the hand grips 26 will be apparent hereafter.

The body 22 of strips 27 is normally somewhat shorter than the arcuate length of the sight opening 21 whereby when the fabric 22 is positioned across the opening 21 it is somewhat stretched but is not stretched to its limit. Thus, the individual strips 27 tend to resist movement out of parallelism and to maintain the size of the viewing slits 28 uniform.' In normal usage, the strips 27 will become covered with frost and the slits 28 will close. To

prevent this the wearer need only to grasp one of the hand grips 26, disengage one of the hooks 25, swing the body 22 forwardly to clear the frame members 14 and then alternately stretch and relax the fabric body 22 This operation will usually sufiice to clear the strips 27 of frost If it does not, they can be completely cleared by brushing them with the free hand. Thereafter, the hook 25 in question is re-engaged until .such time as the fabric 22 needs defrosting again.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the invention as shown and described is one which is eflicient in operation and Which can be readily manufactured at low cost of readily available materials. In this connection, elastomers are known which are capable of retaining their elasticity at temperatures well below zero. Such materials are, of course, used to form the strips 27.

Although it is more efiicient to form the strips 27 of :9 stretchable resilient material, it is possible to utilize flexible and substantially inelastic material. In such instance the strips are defrosted by manipulation of the same as by shaking, snapping or brushing. Although this structure is not as efficient as a stretchable and resilient fabric body, it is far superior to known structures for accomplishing the same purpose.

Also, although there has been shown and described what is now thought to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, the invention is not limited to the particular species shown and described hereinabove except as here inafter claimed.

1 claim:

1. An arctic face mask comprising a face-covering portion, said portion being formed with a transverse eye opening, a plurality of resilient strips having opposite ends, laterally spaced means secured to said opposite ends and mounting said strips in spaced and parallel relation, securing means securing said laterally spaced means to said face-covering portion outwardly thereof and at opposite sides of said eye opening, said strips extending across said eye opening in substantially hori- Zontal and partially stretched condition, and at least one of said securing means being readily detachably connected to said face covering portion.

2. An arctic face mask according to claim l, wherein said last named securing means includes a hand grip to permit the further stretching and relaxing of said strips to clear the same of frost.

3. An arctic face mask, comprising a substantially concavo-convex face covering frame having laterally spaced side portions adapted to bear on a wearers face to space the rest of said frame therefrom, said frame being formed of substantially rigid and laterally spaced frame members, a plurality of resilient strips having opposite ends, laterally spaced mounting means secured to said opposite ends and mounting said strips in spaced and parallel relation, securing means fastening said mounting means to said side portions of said frame whereby to dispose said strips horizontally across the same, and at least one of said securing means being readily detachably connected to its side portion.

4. An arctic face mask according to claim 3, wherein said last named mounting means includes a hand grip to permit the stretching and relaxing of all of said strips simultaneously to clear the same of frost.

5. An arctic face mask, comprising a substantially concavo-convex face covering frame having laterally spaced side portions adapted to bear on a wearers face to space the rest of said frame therefrom, said frame being formed of substantially rigid and laterally spaced frame members vertically spaced upper and lower opaque means covering upper and lower portions of said frame to define a transverse eye opening, a plurality of resilient strips having opposite ends, laterally spaced mounting means secured to said opposite ends and mounting said strips in spaced and parallel relation, securing means fastening said mounting means to said side portions of said frame whereby to dispose said strips horizontally across the same and said eye opening, and at least one of said securing means being readily detachably connected to its side portion.

6. An arctic face mask according to claim 5, wherein said last named mounting means includes means for stretching and relaxing said strips to clear the same of frost.

7. An arctic face mask according to claim 5, wherein said lower opaque means is formed with a relative large combined downward viewing and condensate drainage opening.

8. An arctic face mask, comprising a plurality of stretchable strips having opposite ends, mounting means secured to said opposite ends and mounting said strips in spaced and parallel relation, means mounting said strips so that the same extend across the eyes of a wearer in forwardly spaced relation thereto and in a slightly stretched condition, and means for further stretching and relaxing said strips to clear the same of frost.

9. An arctic face mask, comprising a plurality of stretchable strips having opposite ends, mounting means secured to said opposite ends and mounting said strips in spaced and parallel relation, means mounting said strips so that the same extend horizontally across the eyes of a wearer in forwardly spaced relation thereto and in a slightly stretched condition, and means for further stretching and relaxing said strips to clear the same of frost.

10. An arctic face mask, comprising a plurality of stretchable strips having opposite ends, mounting means secured to said opposite ends and mounting said strips in spaced and parallel relation, means mounting said strips so that the same extend across the eyes of a wearer in forwardly spaced relation thereto and in a slightly stretched condition, a hand grip operatively associated with at least one of said mounting means, and said hand grip comprising means for alternately stretching and relaxing all of said strips simultaneously to clear the same of frost.

11. An arctic face mask, comprising a body of stretchable strips disposed in slightly spaced and parallel relation, means mounting said body so that the same extends across the eyes of a wearer in forwardly spaced relation thereto, and means for alternately stretching and relaxing said body of strips to clear the same of frost.

12. An arctic face mask, comprising a body of stretchable strips arranged to provide viewing spaces therebetween, means mounting said body so that the same extends across the eyes of a wearer in forwardly spaced relation thereto, and means for alternately stretching and relaxing said body of strips to clear the same of frost.

13. An arctic face mask, comprising a coarse fabric of stretchable material, means mounting said body so that the same extends across the eyes of a wearer in forwardly spaced relation thereto to provide peripheral vision therethrough, and means for alternately stretching and relaxing said fabric to clear the same of frost.

14. An arctic face mask, according to claim 13, wherein said last named means includes a hand grip operatively connected to said fabric.

15. An arctic face mask, comprising a body of flexible strips disposed in slightly spaced and parallel relation, means mounting said body so that the same extends across the eyes of a wearer in forwardly spaced relation thereto, and means for manipulating said body of strips to clear the same of frost.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,1l4,658 Noffsinger Apr. 19, 1938 2,796,610 Doorenbos June 25, 1957 2,857,598 Augustin Oct. 28, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 508,388 Great Britain Dec. 8, 1938 

